Jayme Thornton has photographed stars from Kate Winslet to Jay-Z. Find out why he wanted to contribute his talents to DCSPCA.
When it came time to capture the photographs for DCSPCA’s new SuperHumane Being media campaign, we dreamt of having a star photographer depict the beauty of our animals and the people who care for them. We were absolutely thrilled when photographer Jayme Thornton agreed to create those visuals.
Jayme is a New York City-based multimedia artist specializing in portraits (Iggy Pop, Kate Winslet, Jay-Z). Raised in Watkinsville, Georgia, he found photography in high school starting with landscapes of his native state. After earning a degree in technical theater and lighting, he moved to Minneapolis for some time before catching a break and moving to New York City, where he’s photographed some of the biggest names in music and film.
Jayme agreed to answer a few questions for us about his career and his work on the SuperHumane Being campaign.
DCSPCA: You have a long and successful career as a photographer. Can you tell us about your work?
JAYME THORNTON: My work tends to have a lot of energy, a lot of color, and a concise story if I do it right. I love my work and life in general and try to pack as much of that love and optimism into my images as possible. Every year since the beginning seems to have a whole new set of problems, moods, aesthetics and it's been a fun challenge to keep up with all of that.
DCSPCA: With such a busy schedule, and so many high profile clients, why did you choose to help DCSPCA with our SuperHumane Being media campaign?
JAYME THORNTON: When my friend Sandy mentioned you guys were looking for someone to shoot the campaign I jumped at the chance!! My previous pet was a rescue and I'm a big believer in shelters. Anything I can do to help that out is really an honor.
DCSPCA: How is photographing dogs and cats different from photographing rock stars?
JAYME THORNTON: Shooting dogs and cats are exactly the same as shooting rock stars. They're finicky, hard to keep on set, and not afraid to lick your face. But luckily I had a good team to wrangle the talent!
DCSPCA: What was most important to you when photographing for the SuperHumane Being campaign?
JAYME THORNTON: I wanted to show the mutual connection that people and pets have. It's a love and bond that goes both ways and I hope I captured it. That and show cute little kitty wittys!
DCSPCA: Can you tell us about some of the furry friends in your life?
JAYME: My dog of 17 years, Ada, passed last year. She was a rescue and a wonderful dog. We've just started thinking about maybe possibly getting a new one, but we'll see. Sandy keeps tempting me with the adorables that are at the DCSPCA.